Care Before Crisis™ — Attendee Care Guide. This packet holds a take-home handout for every session and a full Care Connections™ Resource Guide. On a phone, pages scale to fit your screen — pinch to zoom in and read any section. To print or save as PDF: use your browser's Print option and choose "Save as PDF" (Letter size, margins set to None/Default). Each handout is its own page — print the whole packet, or just the sheets you need.
A Mindful Resource Inc.
A Mindful Resource Inc.
Presents
Mental Health & Wellness Fair

CARE
BEFORE
CRISIS™

Your Care Guide

A take-home keepsake from today — handouts for every session, plus the resources to keep healing long after you leave this room. This was made for you.

When
Saturday, May 23, 2026
11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Where
West Dallas Multipurpose Center
Dallas, Texas
Trust Before Treatment Community as Medicine Care Without Barriers™

A Mindful Resource Inc. · 501(c)(3) Nonprofit · events@amindfulresourceinc.org · @amindfulresourceinc

Start Here

Welcome Home

Care Before Crisis™
You belong here.

You don't have to be broken to deserve support. You don't have to be in crisis to be worthy of care. You showed up today — for yourself, for your family, for somebody you love — and that is already something powerful. Welcome home.

A note from our founder

We built A Mindful Resource Inc. because too many of us were taught to wait — wait until it's bad enough, wait until we can't push through anymore, wait until crisis forces our hand. We're done waiting. Healing doesn't have a start date, and it doesn't begin in a hospital. It begins in community — in being seen, in being held, in being reminded that you are not alone. Move through today at your own pace. Take what serves you. Leave the rest. We're so glad you're here.

— Dominique Johnson, MSN, RN · Founder, A Mindful Resource Inc.

What's inside your guide

① Your Day & Event Map

A simple map and schedule so you always know where to go and what's happening.

② Breakout Sessions

Six rooms of healing — therapy talks, movement, meditation, drum & food.

③ Calming Practices to Keep

Breathing and grounding tools, taught today and yours to carry home.

④ Real Talk Panel

An honest community conversation on mental health, with space to reflect.

⑤ The Wellness Zone

Breathe, journal, and reset. Affirmations and check-in prompts that are yours to keep.

⑥ Mindful Village & Lounge

Meet providers and healers; rest, snack, and capture the day at the photo wall.

⑦ Care Connections™ Guide

The big one — therapy, crisis support, men's wellness, youth & family resources.

⑧ Youth & Family Zone

For caregivers and young people — talking about feelings, the simple way.

Care Without Barriers™

No insurance required. No judgment. No prerequisites for belonging here.

How to move through today
There is no wrong way to be here. Sit. Browse. Breathe. Listen. Participate in everything or nothing at all — that's enough.
Visit Care Connections™ if you'd like help finding a resource. No pressure, no forms, no commitment — just a door that's open.
If today brings something up, that's okay. Our team is here for exactly those moments. You don't have to carry it alone.
Take this guide with you. The healing doesn't end at 3:00 PM. Keep it. Share it. Come back to it.
"You are worth caring for right now — not when things get worse." The Care Before Crisis™ Promise
A Mindful Resource Inc.Care Before Crisis™ Mental Health & Wellness Fair · May 23, 2026Welcome · 01
Your Day at a Glance

Map & Schedule

11 AM – 3 PM · Soft open 10:30
Move at your own pace.

Today is yours to explore — there's no schedule you must keep and no room you must enter. This page is just a friendly map. Breakout sessions run in three short rounds; the Mindful Village, lounge, and care spaces stay open all day. A volunteer in an AMR shirt is always close by to help you find your way.

The spaces — and what each one is for
A

Training Room A

Mental Health 101 & Intro to Therapy — understanding care and how to start.

B

Training Room B

Stigma in Our Communities & How to Support Someone You Love.

1

Activity Room 1

Movement & Mindfulness — yoga, breathwork, and Afro-inspired dance.

E

Conference Space East

BE STILL™ — mindfulness meditation & body scan.

P

Pavilion & Teaching Kitchen

Drum Circle & Wellness Cooking — rhythm, food as medicine.

★

Drop-In All Day

Art Therapy & the Self-Care Station — come and go, no session times.

Also open all day in the Atrium: the Mindful Village (vendors), Wellness Zone, Care Connections™, Youth Zone, Community Lounge, and Photo Wall.

The flow of the day
11:00 AM
Doors open. Breakout Session Round 1 begins. Mindful Village open.
11:45 AM
Group Affirmation #1 + opening words from our founder. All rooms pause.
12:00–1:00
Real Talk Panel in the Atrium. Breakout rooms rest. Drum Circle at 12:00.
1:00 PM
Group Affirmation #2 + box breathing. The full fair reopens.
1:15 PM
Breakout Session Round 2. Wellness Cooking Demo begins in the Kitchen.
1:45 PM
Community Conversation Circle opens in the Atrium — an open, low-pressure space.
2:00 PM
Breakout Session Round 3 — the final round. Last Drum Circle outdoors.
2:40 PM
Group Affirmation #3 + our founder's closing address. The whole room, together.
3:00 PM
Fair closes — leave with your guide, your resources, and a lighter load.
The heartbeat of the day — hourly affirmations

Three times today, the whole fair pauses together — every room, one voice, one community. Wherever you are, you're invited to join in: "I am worth caring for." You don't have to perform it. Just say it, and let it land.

Your DayCare Before Crisis™ · West Dallas Multipurpose CenterMap & Schedule · 02
Breakout Sessions

Choosing Your Path

Three short rounds
Follow what calls you.

Throughout the day, smaller breakout sessions run in dedicated rooms — each one a different doorway into healing. Some are conversations. Some are movement. Some are quiet. There's no wrong choice, and no commitment. Step in, and if it isn't your room, step right back out. Every path here leads somewhere good.

How the rounds work
Round 1
11:00–11:30 AM

The morning round — gentle starts and first steps.

Round 2
1:15–1:45 PM

After the panel — new topics, fresh energy.

Round 3
2:00–2:30 PM

The final round — often the most powerful.

Each session is 30 minutes, with a 10–15 minute break between rounds. Pick one room per round — or rest in the Mindful Village instead. No sessions run during the panel (12:00–1:00 PM).

The five breakout rooms — find the one that meets you today
Training Room A · Mental Health 101 & Intro to TherapyFor the questions you've always had about therapy — what it is, how to start, and healing in our community.
Training Room B · Stigma & Supporting a Loved OneChanging the story we inherited — and learning what to say to someone we love who is struggling.
Activity Room 1 · Movement & MindfulnessGentle yoga, breathwork, and Afro-inspired dance. Your body, your pace — all bodies welcome.
Conference Space East · BE STILL™A guided mindfulness meditation and body scan — breathe, scan, and let your body rest in stillness.
Pavilion & Kitchen · Drum Circle & Wellness CookingCommunity rhythm under the pavilion and food as medicine in the teaching kitchen.
Open all day — drop in anytime, no session times
Art Therapy — paint your mood, leave with a take-home canvas.
Self-Care Station — short rotating slots of massage, reflexology & aromatherapy.
A few gentle things to know

Rooms have space limits — if one is full, a floater will guide you to the next round or another room. You never have to stay if a session brings up too much; a Care Connections™ navigator is always near. And the next pages walk you through each room, so you can choose with your whole heart.

Breakout SessionsThree rounds · Five rooms · Every path leads to careBreakout · 03
Breakout · Training Room A

Mental Health 101

& Intro to Therapy
Start where you are.

Maybe you've wondered about therapy but talked yourself out of it. Maybe nobody ever explained what it actually is. This room is where that changes. Led by licensed mental health professionals from our community, it's a conversation — not a lecture — about what care looks like and how to take a first step that's yours.

What's offered in this room
1

11:00 AM · Mental Health 101 — What Is Therapy & How Do I Start?

The honest basics: therapy is not weakness and not "being crazy." The different types, what sliding-scale means, and how to find a Black therapist who gets you.

2

1:15 PM · Intro to Therapy — How It Works & What You Should Gain

A plain-language walk through your first session, the therapeutic relationship, and what progress really looks like — plus knowing when a therapist is the right fit.

3

2:00 PM · Mental Health in the Black Community — History & Healing

Why distrust of the system is earned, not irrational. The cultural strengths that have always carried us — and the shift from crisis to care before crisis.

Truths to hold onto

In your first session, nobody decides or diagnoses anything — you talk, they listen. Trying more than one therapist is discernment, not failure. And needing support has never meant you are broken.

A word on coverage

Many of us have more support available than we realize. Our sponsor, BlueCross BlueShield of Texas, and sliding-scale and free options mean cost should never be the reason care waits.

A question I'm carrying about my own care

"Asking what therapy is — out loud, without shame — is already the first session. You started today."

Visit Care Connections™ or Training Room A's resource table for therapist directories and next steps.

Mental Health 101Training Room A · Trust Before TreatmentBreakout · 04
Breakout · Training Room B

Stigma & Support

Changing the story
We choose what's next.

So many of us were raised to "be strong," to fix our face, to keep it moving. That strength kept us alive — and it also taught us to suffer in silence. This room is where we look at the story we inherited and ask, together, what we want to pass down instead.

What's offered in this room
1

11:00 AM & 2:00 PM · Stigma in Black & Brown Communities — How Do We Change the Story?

The historical roots of stigma, the "strong one" trap, and the cultural strengths — faith, music, storytelling, being witnessed — that have always been our medicine.

2

1:15 PM · How to Support Someone You Love

The words that help and the words that harm when someone you love is struggling — how to listen, how to stay, and how to point them toward 988 and real support.

If someone you love is struggling — a place to start
Say: "I'm here." "That sounds heavy." "You don't have to carry this alone."
Try not to say: "Just pray harder." "Others have it worse." "You're fine."
Do: listen more than you fix. Presence is the gift.
Remember: 988 is there 24/7 — for them, and for you.
A message about mental health I inherited — and want to rewrite
"Tuskegee and generations of medical harm mean our distrust is earned — not irrational. Naming that out loud is not bitterness. It's the beginning of healing."
The shift

You starting this conversation is the change.

Stigma & SupportTraining Room B · Community as MedicineBreakout · 05
Breakout · Activity Room 1

Movement & Mindfulness

All bodies welcome
Your body, your pace.

The body keeps the score — and the body can also keep the peace. There is no wrong way to be in this room. No mirrors, no performance, no experience needed. Every movement has a gentler version, and a chair is always an option. Just come as you are.

What's offered in this room
1

11:00 AM · Gentle Yoga — All Levels

Slow, grounded, breath-centered movement. Perfect for first-timers and tired bodies. Mats provided; chair modifications offered for every pose.

2

1:15 PM · Breathwork & Body Release

4-7-8 breathing and progressive muscle relaxation to release what we've been holding. If emotion rises here, that's healing — not something to rush past.

3

2:00 PM · Afro-Inspired Movement & Dance

Afrobeats and neo-soul, a standing circle, and joy as medicine. The most energetic session of the day — all bodies, all the way.

Before you step in

Wear what's comfortable. Shoes come off, phones go away. You can keep your eyes closed the whole time. Chair Yoga is available any time you ask — no explanation needed.

The closing moment

Every session ends the same way — one hand on your heart, and these words: "I showed up for myself today." That moment is the medicine. Let it land.

Where am I holding tension — and what would help me let it go?

"Movement releases what words cannot. You don't have to be flexible, fit, or fearless — you only have to show up in the body you have."

Turn to "Calming Practices to Keep" for breathwork you can carry home from this room.

Movement & MindfulnessActivity Room 1 · Joy as medicineBreakout · 06
Breakout · Conference Space East

BE STILL™

Breathe. Scan. Listen.
This space is yours.

Some healing doesn't ask you to talk, move, or do — only to be still. BE STILL™ is a guided mindfulness meditation and body scan, led by Jazmine, in the quietest room of the day. You simply settle in, follow your breath, and let your body rest.

What's offered in this room
1

11:00 AM · BE STILL™ — Breath & Body Scan

A guided meditation that begins with the breath and moves gently through the body, releasing tension you didn't know you were holding. Enter in whispers, shoes off, phones away.

2

12:30 PM · BE STILL™ — Midday Reset

A grounding pause in the middle of the day. Mindfulness practice and a body scan to quiet the mind and steady the nervous system before the afternoon.

3

2:00 PM · BE STILL™ — Closing Stillness

End your day in deep rest — a final meditation and body scan, carried by the soft tones of a sound bowl. If you fall asleep, that's the practice working.

How to be still in this room
Nothing to prepare. No experience needed — just arrive.
Sit or lie down. However your body is most at ease.
Phones on silent. This room is a shared exhale.
Silence is welcome. Let the breath do the work.
One word for how my body feels right now — and one for how I want it to feel

"You don't have to earn rest. Stillness is not the absence of healing — it is the place where healing begins."

Space is limited and sessions begin on time. If a session is full, a floater will guide you to the next one.

BE STILL™Conference Space East · Breathe. Scan. Listen. Know.Breakout · 07
Breakout · Pavilion & Teaching Kitchen

Drum Circle & Cooking

Rhythm & nourishment
Healing our ancestors knew.

Long before the word "wellness," our people gathered around the drum and the table. This space honors that — rhythm as release, and food as medicine. No experience needed for either. Just bring yourself, and maybe an appetite.

Under the Pavilion · Community Drum Circle

Chairs in a circle, drums and shakers passed around. There is no wrong beat in this circle. Drumming has been shown to lower stress hormones — and your ancestors already knew it would. We build a rhythm together, open into free play, and close in shared silence.

12:00
PM
Session 1
(during panel hour)
2:00
PM
Session 2
(final outdoor event)
In the Teaching Kitchen · Wellness Cooking Demos
1:00 PM

Foods That Fight Anxiety

Magnesium, omega-3s, and the gut-brain connection — using ingredients already familiar in our kitchens. Take home a recipe card.

1:30 PM

Comfort Food, Reimagined

The cultural dishes we love, with gentle wellness upgrades. This is about nourishment and joy — never restriction or guilt.

Also outdoors, open all day

The garden and Mindful Walk Trail are open for a self-guided stroll, with reflection prompts along the path. Fresh air is part of the care.

"Your ancestors drummed to heal. They cooked to care for each other. When you do the same today, you are not learning something new — you are remembering."

Drum Circle & CookingPavilion & Teaching Kitchen · Food is medicineBreakout · 08
Drop-In · Open All Day

Art Therapy & Self-Care

11 AM – 2:30 PM
Come as you are, anytime.

Not everything today runs on a schedule. These two spaces are open from 11 AM to 2:30 PM with no session times and no waiting for a round to begin. Wander in whenever your spirit — or your body — asks for a moment.

Art Therapy · Conference Room South

Some feelings don't have words yet — and that's exactly what color is for. Sit down, "paint your mood," and let your hands say what your mouth can't. There's no skill required and nothing to get right. Leave with a take-home canvas — a small piece of today that's yours to keep.

NO SKILL NEEDED

Color is a language everyone already speaks.

PAINT YOUR MOOD

Let the feeling pick the colors.

TAKE IT HOME

Your canvas leaves with you.

Self-Care Station · Activity Room 2

Care you can feel in your body. Stop by for a short, rotating slot — about 10 minutes — of massage, reflexology, or aromatherapy, offered by caring practitioners. A small reset that reminds your body it is allowed to feel good.

MASSAGE

Ease the tension you carry in your shoulders.

REFLEXOLOGY

Gentle pressure, deep relief.

AROMATHERAPY

Scent that settles the mind.

Two more ways to take part, all day
Add to the "What Brought You Here?" board — your words may be exactly what a stranger needed.
Pick up the Resource Scavenger Hunt card at registration — explore every space, enter the prize drawing.

"Care isn't always a conversation. Sometimes it's a paintbrush, a deep breath, or a moment of someone tending to you. You're allowed to receive it."

Art Therapy & Self-CareDrop-In · Conference Room South & Activity Room 2Breakout · 09
Take It Home

Calming Practices to Keep

Yours to carry
Calm is a skill.

You won't always have a sound bath or a yoga mat nearby. But you will always have your breath and your body. These three practices are yours now — taught in today's sessions and ready for the car, the break room, the kitchen at 2 AM. Practice them when you're calm so they're ready when you're not.

Practice 1 · Box Breathing — when the world is loud

A steady, grounding breath you can do anywhere. We practice this together after the panel — trace the four sides of a box as you go.

4
Breathe IN
4
HOLD it
4
Breathe OUT
4
HOLD again

Repeat 4 rounds. Notice your shoulders drop a little each time.

Practice 2 · The 60-Second Body Scan — when you feel disconnected
STEP 1 · HEAD

Soften your jaw, forehead, and the space between your eyebrows.

STEP 2 · CENTER

Drop your shoulders. Loosen your chest, hands, and belly.

STEP 3 · GROUND

Feel your feet on the floor. You are here. You are okay right now.

Whatever tension you find, breathe into it — and let your exhale carry it out.

Practice 3 · 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding — when your mind is racing

When anxiety pulls you out of the moment, your senses bring you back. Slowly name:

5
things you SEE
4
things you TOUCH
3
things you HEAR
2
things you SMELL
1
thing you TASTE
"For people who have always had to be strong, choosing stillness is its own kind of strength. Rest is not a reward you earn — it is your birthright."
Want more?

Care Connections™ can share guided practices for your phone.

Calming PracticesBreathe. Scan. Ground. Carry it with you.Practices · 10
Session Two

Real Talk

Panel · 12:00 PM
Bring your whole self.

"Real Talk: Mental Health & Wellness in the Black Community" is the heart of today. It is not a lecture. It is not a clinical presentation. It is a conversation — honest, warm, and grounded in where we come from. We're not here because something went wrong. We're here because we're choosing to show up for ourselves and for each other before things reach a breaking point. That is revolutionary.

Voices on the panel

Five licensed practitioners from across our community — bringing clinical insight, lived experience, and deep care to the conversation.

Therapist

Corby Jackson, LPC

Licensed Professional Counselor with 8 years of experience in identity, family conflict, relationships, and self-esteem. Creates a safe, authentic space to show up as your true self.

Strategist

Rah Kalon, LPC-A

Emotional Health Strategist, speaker, and founder of Rah Kalon Emotional Health. Over a decade bridging emotional intelligence with real-world presence under pressure.

Counselor

Jazmine Peacock, LPC, RYT

Licensed counselor, yoga teacher, and co-creator of Girl Breathe With God. An Oak Cliff native guiding healing through therapy, meditation, movement, and faith.

Founder

Alisha Woodall, LPC-S

Licensed therapist and founder of Finding the Foundation in Dallas. Compassionate and solution-focused, helping clients build self-awareness, healing, and a foundation for lasting change.

Supervisor

Sèkou Fraser, PhD, LPC-S

Licensed counselor, supervisor, and founder of Sage Therapy Group with 15+ years of experience. A therapist for the NFL Players Association, focused on men's mental health and culturally responsive care.

What this conversation will hold
The Real. Growing up, what did mental health look like — or not look like — in our households? What messages did we inherit?
The Barriers. What keeps us — and especially Black men — from reaching for support? And what would actually change that?
The Trust Gap. So many of us have been failed or harmed by healthcare systems. How do we rebuild trust when trust has been broken?
Community as Medicine. What does it mean that healing happens in relationship — in our barbershops, our kitchens, our churches, our group chats?
The Word You Carry. Each voice on the panel will leave you with one thing they hope every person in this room takes home.
This is a brave room

You are welcome to just listen — that is enough. If you'd like to ask a question, every question is valid here. If something said today moves you, that's not weakness; that's your heart recognizing the truth. And if a moment feels heavy, our Care Connections™ team is here for exactly that. Turn the page for space to reflect.

Real TalkMental Health & Wellness in the Black CommunityThe Panel · 11
Session Two · Carry This With You

Room to Reflect

Real Talk
The healing is yours.

A good conversation doesn't end when the panel does — it keeps talking to you on the drive home. Use this page however you need. Write, doodle, or just hold it. There are no wrong answers, because this is your story and nobody knows it better than you.

Something that landed with me today
A message about mental health I inherited — and want to question
One small thing I can do for my own wellness this week
One person I want to check on — or invite into healing with me
The word I'm choosing to carry out of this room
— write it big, and mean it
A truth to take with you

You were never meant to carry it all by yourself. Asking for help is not the moment you became weak — it's the moment you decided you were worth fighting for.

Ready to take a next step? The Care Connections™ Resource Guide on the following pages is yours to keep.

Real TalkTrust Before Treatment · Community as MedicineThe Panel · 12
Session Three

The Wellness Zone

This space is yours
Breathe. Journal. Reset.

The Wellness Zone is a quieter corner of today — a soft place to land. Pull up a chair, pick up a pen, or just sit and breathe. You don't have to produce anything here. This is the one place today where the only thing you have to do is be honest with yourself.

First, the real question: How are you really?

Not the "I'm good, you?" answer. The real one. Circle whatever's true — more than one is allowed:

Tired in my bones Holding it together Carrying somebody else Numb / not sure Hopeful Stretched too thin Healing, slowly Grieving something Proud of myself Just need quiet

Whatever you circled — it's valid. You don't have to fix it today. Naming it is the work.

A breath for right now: Sigh It Out

Breathe in through your nose. Then add a little more air on top. Now let it go through your mouth with an audible sigh — like setting down something heavy. Do this 3 times. This is your body's natural reset button. You're allowed to use it.

Take an affirmation card

Choose the card on the table that your spirit reaches for first — not the one you think you "should" pick. Keep it in your wallet, your mirror, your dashboard. Let it remind you on the days you forget.

Journaling prompts — answer one, or all, or none
①  What is one thing I've been carrying that was never mine to carry?
②  When do I feel most like myself? How do I make more room for that?
③  What would I say to comfort a friend feeling what I feel — and can I say it to me?
④  Who in my life makes me feel safe? Have I told them lately?
⑤  What does rest look like for me — and what's one boundary that would protect it?
Affirmations to speak over yourself

"I am allowed to take up space and to take up rest."

"My ancestors survived so I could feel — not just endure."

"I can be soft and strong in the very same breath."

"My peace is worth protecting. I will not apologize for guarding it."

The Wellness ZoneBreathe. Journal. Reset. Be still.Wellness · 13
Explore the Fair

Mindful Village

Along the main walls
Care, all in one room.

Healing has many doors — and today, a lot of them are in one room. Mindful Village gathers the wellness providers, community organizations, and healers who serve our neighborhoods. Walk slow. Ask questions. Take the card. Nobody here is selling you anything you don't need — they're here because they believe in care that reaches our community.

Who you'll meet at the tables

Mental Wellness Providers

Therapists and practices — including some accepting sliding-scale fees.

Community Organizations

Local nonprofits and groups offering support, programs, and connection.

Health & Fitness

Because caring for the body and the mind has never been separate work.

Books & Resources

Tools, workbooks, and reading to keep the growth going at home.

Cultural Wellness

Healing rooted in our traditions, our history, and our ways of knowing.

Holistic Practitioners

Whole-person care — rest, nutrition, movement, spirit, and breath.

How to make the most of the Village
Browse with no pressure — looking and learning is a complete visit.
Ask the real questions: "Do you offer sliding scale?" "Do you take walk-ins?"
Collect cards for later — you don't have to decide anything today.
Tell them what you need. The right provider will meet you there.
Vendors I want to remember & follow up with
A trust-first room

Every vendor here agreed to one thing: no hard sales, no fear, no judgment — just honest care, offered with respect. You are a neighbor here, never a customer.

Feeling unsure?

A Care Connections™ navigator can walk the Village with you.

Mindful VillageCommunity as Medicine · Care Without Barriers™Explore · 14
Explore the Fair

Lounge & Photo Wall

Rest · Connect · Capture
Joy is healing too.

Healing isn't only the deep, quiet work — it's also laughter, a cool drink, a good conversation, and a picture worth keeping. These two spaces are here for the lighter side of care. Come catch your breath, share a moment, and let yourself enjoy being in community.

The Community Lounge — pull up a chair
REFRESH

Water, lemonade, and light snacks. Hydrate, rest, and refuel — no rush.

CONNECT

High-top tables and seating clusters made for easy, unhurried conversation.

DISCOVER

A community bulletin board with local resources and what's happening near you.

The "Leave a Note" Gratitude Wall

Before you leave the lounge, add your voice to the wall. A word of encouragement for a stranger, something you're grateful for, or a truth somebody else might need today. What would you write?

The Community Photo Wall — capture the day

Near the entrance, you'll find our green-and-gold backdrop and a basket of affirmation props. Healing days are worth remembering — and your joy is a kind of testimony.

SOLO OR SQUAD

Come alone or pull in the people you walked in with.

GRAB A PROP

Affirmation signs and cards to hold up and make your own.

TAG & SHARE

Post it with #CareBeforeCrisis · @amindfulresourceinc

A photographer is on hand 11:30 AM–1:00 PM and 2:30–3:00 PM. Photos are shared with care — and only with your okay.

A gentle reminder

Rest is part of the work. Laughter is part of the healing. You don't have to earn your joy — today, it's already yours.

Lounge & Photo WallRest · Connect · Capture the dayExplore · 15
The Resource Guide

Care Connections™

No pressure · No judgment
Just an open door.

Healing shouldn't depend on insurance, income, or knowing the right person. This guide is yours to keep — real, accessible support, gathered with you in mind. You don't have to use all of it. You don't have to use any of it today. Just know the door is open whenever you're ready to walk through it.

If you need support right now

You don't have to be at your lowest to reach out. These lines are free, confidential, and available 24/7 — for you, or for someone you love.

988
Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — call or text, anytime, any reason.
TEXT "HOME"
TO 741741
Crisis Text Line — text with a trained counselor.
1-800-662-4357
SAMHSA Helpline — free, confidential treatment referrals.

In an immediate, life-threatening emergency, call 911. Nearest ER to today's venue: Parkland Memorial Hospital.

Therapy Access — finding someone who gets you

It matters to feel seen by your provider. These directories help you find culturally affirming therapists — many offering sliding-scale, low-cost, or virtual care.

Therapy for Black GirlsA directory and community connecting Black women & girls to culturally competent therapists. therapyforblackgirls.com
Therapy for Black MenDirectory of therapists and coaches for Black men & boys, with sliding-scale options. therapyforblackmen.org
The Loveland FoundationTherapy financial assistance for Black women & girls. thelovelandfoundation.org
Inclusive TherapistsFind affirming care by culture, identity, and need. inclusivetherapists.com
Clinicians of Color / Melanin & Mental HealthNational directories of therapists of color. cliniciansofcolor.org
Open Path CollectiveAffordable sessions ($40–$70) for those without insurance. openpathcollective.org
Dallas-area, free & sliding-scale providers

Our Care Connections™ navigators keep an updated list of local low-cost and free providers, telehealth options, and community clinics. Ask a navigator, or note your local match here:

Care Connections™Connect with Care — No Pressure. No Judgment. Just Support.Resource Guide · 16
The Resource Guide · Continued

More Ways to Connect

Care Connections™
You are not alone.
For the Brothers — Men's Wellness

Strength has never meant silence. Real strength is the man who chooses to heal so the next generation doesn't have to inherit his pain.

Therapy for Black MenTherapists, coaches, and a brotherhood that understands. therapyforblackmen.org
The Confess ProjectBarbershop-based mental health — meeting brothers where they already gather.
Brother, You're on My Mind (NAMI)Mental health support built for Black men through community partners.
Care Connections™ Men's CircleAsk a navigator about peer support groups for men in the Dallas area.
Youth & Family Support

Our young people are watching how we treat our own minds. Caring for yourself teaches them to care for themselves.

The Steve FundMental health support for young people of color. Text STEVE to 741741.
The Trevor Project24/7 support for LGBTQ+ youth. Call 1-866-488-7386 or text START to 678-678.
School-Based CounselingAsk your child's school counselor about free in-school support services.
Family Counseling ReferralsCare Connections™ can match your family with affordable family-therapy options.
Community & Faith-Rooted Support

Healing has always lived in our gathering places. Ask a navigator about local support groups, faith-based counseling, grief circles, and community wellness events near you. Community is medicine — and it's free.

Digital Tools You Can Carry

BEAM (Black Emotional & Mental Health) · Liberate meditation app, by and for the Black community · Shine daily self-care · plus the AMR digital resource guide — scan the QR card from any navigator.

How Care Connections™ works — and what it isn't
A warm conversation, whenever you're ready — no intake form required.
We listen first, then share 2–3 resources that fit what you actually need.
Conversations are private. We don't collect your name without permission.
It's not therapy or diagnosis — it's a trusted guide pointing you toward the right door.
Keep this guide

"The most powerful thing we can offer someone is a door that feels safe to walk through. Today, you found a few. They'll still be open tomorrow."

Questions later? Reach A Mindful Resource Inc. at events@amindfulresourceinc.org · @amindfulresourceinc

Care Connections™Care Without Barriers™Resource Guide · 17
Session Four · For the Whole Family

Youth & Family Zone

Ages 5–17 welcome
Big feelings, safe space.

We were often raised to be seen and not heard, to "fix our face" and keep it moving. Our children deserve something different. The Youth & Family Zone is where feelings get to be okay — through play, art, and conversation, with no pressure and a caring adult close by. This handout is for the grown-ups.

For caregivers · Talking about feelings, the simple way
1

Name it to tame it

Help them put words on it: "It looks like you're frustrated." Naming a feeling shrinks it.

2

All feelings are allowed

There are no "bad" feelings — only big ones. It's what we do with them that we guide.

3

Listen more than you fix

Sometimes "that sounds really hard" is the whole answer they needed from you.

4

Model it yourself

"I felt nervous today, so I took deep breaths." They learn healing by watching you.

A calming game for kids · Star Breathing

Hold up one hand like a star. With a finger from the other hand, slowly trace up one finger as you breathe in, and down the other side as you breathe out. Trace all five fingers. "Now we're calm as a sleepy cat." Do it together — it works for grown-ups too.

Feelings check-in · "Today I feel..."

Let your child point to or circle a word. There's no wrong pick:

Happy Sad Mad Scared Excited Worried Tired Calm Silly
For teens · Conversation starters that aren't an interrogation
"What's been the best and hardest part of your week?"
"Who do you talk to when something's bothering you?"
"Is there anything you wish I understood better about you?"
"You don't have to be okay all the time. I'm here either way."
For the grown-ups

You can't pour from an empty cup. The most loving thing you can do for your children is to let them watch you take care of you, too.

Need youth support?

See the Youth & Family section of your Care Connections™ Guide.

Youth & Family ZoneCare Before Crisis™ · A day built for us, by us.For Families · 18